Scott's strike zone changes from year to year. ... [In 2009], Scott turned into a pitchers' umpire, calling ten percent fewer walks than average. ... In 2010, he bucked the trend and called more walks. ... Scott's temper can be short. He has a 2.4-percent career ejection rate.

We hear how players have comprimised the integrity of the game, with peds, but this looks like a case where an umpire has done the same. The fans at the game, those watching and listening on the radio, were all shortchanged. Also, as WEEI sagely pointed out, professional hitters take every at bat seriously. Its their craft, their job, how they make their living. Ortiz is fighting for his career. In short, you rarely hear about umpires called intop question, except for a mistake on a call. But then, we all make mistakes. Im as outraged as I can be on a Mid May day game with Toronto.

True fact: On May 30, 1988, became the last umpire to eject Billy Martin, who was fired as Oakland's manager three weeks later.

On umpiring: "There's an old saying about an umpire that you have to start up perfect and then improve. That's a high standard, but it's not more pressure with technology. There's always been pressure and our goal is try to get every pitch and every play right. That doesn't always happen, so we try making a negative into a positive and figure out why we didn't get the call right."